The road to city status in Essex: From ‘dull towns’ to economic hubs in the East of England

The Victorian author, who published notable works such as ‘Oliver Twist’ and ‘A Christmas Carole’, described Chelmsford as “the dullest and most stupid spot” on Earth after stopping off at the Essex town in 1835.

Chelmsford has been an admittedly small and somewhat uneventful place throughout much of its history.

However, it somehow defeated two larger county contenders in obtaining city status after Southend and Colchester were overlooked in 2012.

And much has changed in Chelmsford since Dickens’ visit.

In fact, much has changed in Chelmsford since 2012.

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The city has expanded throughout the last 10-years and continues to position itself as a regional economic hub.

The most recent estimates put Chelmsford’s overall population at 121,556, up from 110,507 in the 2011 Census.

Chelmsford also pipped Cambridge and several other places to the post as the number one place to live in the East of England back in 2018, according to the Sunday Times’ guide.

The expansion of Chelmsford has also put pressure on the local two-platform train station.

The station, which is on average just 42 minutes away from Liverpool Street, was opened in 1842 but has been forced to cater for an ever-increasing number of commuters.

Despite taking a hit over the course of the pandemic, Chelmsford was one of the busiest stations in Great Britain outside of London in 2020/21, ranking in 17th place with more than 1.7million entries and exits.

However, there are plans for Chelmsford to welcome a second train station in 2025 when the Beaulieu-based station is expected to be completed.

Another significant change in Chelmsford came in September 2016 when the £120million Bond Street development was completed.

The retail and leisure centre, which replaced what was once an ugly Chelmsford car park, had been in the pipeline since the turn of the century.

However, Chelmsford City Council leader Stephen Robinson suggested city status had an impact on the Bond Street development.

“I think there is an urgent need for local government, charities, education business establishments to get together and find ways to address these issues, naturally affecting the image of a city.”

Cllr Robinson has since explained what action Chelmsford City Council has already taken to counter these developments.

He said: “The traditional ‘high street’ was already changing pre-Covid. 

“The shift to online shopping has just accelerated. 

“In 2019, Chelmsford City Council was already looking at providing planning guidance to landlords about what might be acceptable changes of use if they want to move away from retail to something more productive.

“The City Council has secured considerable funding from developers and Government in recent to invest in reshaping the city centre and there is more to come.”

On homelessness and housing, he added: “Homelessness and housing problems are rising everywhere, unrelated to city status. 

“However, the city council now offers accommodation and warp-around support to every rough sleeper found in Chelmsford and well over 70 have come off the streets in the last two years. 

“The City Council has also recently purchased 20 houses for homeless families.”

Katrina Cooke claimed: “We do not look after our town enough to warrant city status.”

Another user added: “There are few draws to the town, most shops are shut down or could be found anywhere, the parking machines rarely work either.

“There are more potholes than roads and let’s not get started on having to know the tide times just to go through the Hythe.”

Conservative Councillor Darius Laws, portfolio holder for economy, business and heritage, has since responded to many of the concerns expressed by members of the Colchester Community Group. 

He said: “We are Britain’s oldest recorded town and no one is seeking to take that away but we are looking to add the point that we were Britain’s first Roman city and therefore we should consider what city status in a modern context means and all the benefits that can come with that.”

But Cllr Laws also explained how city status could bring benefits to Colchester in 2022 and beyond.

“In a modern context,” he explained, “there are going to be tangible benefits because there are certain businesses that simply will not look at a town, they will only set up in a city.”

Mr Laws pointed to Pret A Manger as an example of a business that tends to focus on cities and does not have a store in Colchester.

In contrast, Chelmsford does have a Pret and is home to several stores associated with a rival coffee shop, leading the Sun to dub the county town as the Costa capital of the UK.

But the Rural Ward North Councillor also suggested the status change could see Colchester benefit from Brits seeking to get away on ‘city breaks’. 

Residents and politicians across Southend-on-Sea now hope they will experience an economic boost in the area.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has previously said it is “striving” to create a ‘city-by-the-sea’ which will welcome visitors, stimulate start-up and growing businesses and help local residents fulfil their own potential.

James Duddridge, Tory MP for Rochford and Southend East, even went as far as to claim city status would bring tangible economic benefits to the area.

“A successful bid would turbo-charge our economy and bring new investment to our area – putting Southend firmly on the map, both across the country and around the world,” he said.

But the legacy of Sir David and his tragic death will remain an important part of Southend’s story going forward.

Speaking at the declaration in the recent Southend West by-election, Conservative candidate Anna Firth celebrated the legacy of her predecessor.

Ms Firth, who is originally from nearby Leigh-on-Sea, said: "Tonight, I pay tribute to Sir David Amess who represented this seat for more than 24 years and was a passionate advocate for Southend West.

"Sir David was a truly exceptional MP, he was a friend to all and he had a huge impact on everyone who lives here.

"To Sir David's family and friends, tonight will be a sad and painful day and I would like to tribute to Lady Amess and their children we are thinking of you tonight.

"I would also like to pay tribute to the political parties who marked their respect to Sir David by not contesting this by-election, it is inspiring to see politicians coming together from across the political divide to respect a great man and a great parliamentarian.

"It is the honour of my life to represent the people of Southend West and the place where I was born.

"As your Member of Parliament, I will work tirelessly to build on everything he achieved.”